dusk
by ConfuzzledIndeed
Summary: A story where the stakes are real. Bella is a vampire who meets her soulmate in Edward the human. There is a stalemate in the war between the vampires and Lycans. A choice needs to be made. She isn't too sure if she wants a soulmate. He is the one that falls in love at first sight.
1. Near Sight

Edward sighed as he stared out the window. His mother just ignored him as she tapped along to the beat of the country music. He would have listened to his music, but his phone had died 3 hours in the drive. It would have been fine if his dear mother hadn't unplugged his phone when she stumbled in drunk last night. The fingerprints on the window could only hold his attention for so long. He dug through his backpack, searching for his composition notebook. While he probably wouldn't be able to finish his piece due to the awful music, maybe he could clean it up a bit.

When the car slowed down to an abrupt halt, Edward checked the time on his watch. As usual, he had managed to lose himself in his music. It was currently 1:19 p.m. After days of driving, they arrived at the modest two-story house in the middle of nowhere. A house set apart from the small town of Forks. Edward dreaded the first day of school. The other students would definetly bother him because of the novelty of a new kid. If his mother wasn't busy trying to drink all the time, he would have asked to be home schooled. At least it was time away from her hysterics. He shrugged on his backpack as he shut the car door. The trees rustled with a strange breeze. It seemed to thread its way through the leaves to carry the scent of rain to his direction. Rain... And freesia? There were no flowers that he could see nearby. Before he could ponder further a set of keys was thrown in his direction. He caught them with a practiced hand as his mother peeled out of the gravel driveway. Figures. She was probably getting started on her own personal happy hour. Or more precisely, happy hours. The front door unlocked smoothly as he listened for company. Silence. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled then, raising as he had the sudden feeling of being watched. But when he turned around frantically, only the swaying tree branches met his gaze. As though taunting him. He shivered involuntarily as he locked the door. Was he going crazy? He wouldn't be surprised if he was because of being stuck with his mother for the whole trip. Maybe the feeling of being watched was because of his weariness. He climbed up to his room, missing the glint of gold disappear into the shadows.

When Edward wheeled his beat up Volvo into the parking lot, the kids outside the school noticed him right away. He stifled a sigh as he locked his car. Great. He could already see someone approach him. Curly brown hair, an expression that was probably meant to be coy, and a confident demeanor. Was she one of the popular kids in the school? This question was answered immediately once she opened her mouth.

"Hey, you're the new kid right? Nice to meet you Edward, I'm Jessica. I could show you around if you want... Or if you want, I could show you some interesting spots. I think you'd like to see them," she said with a breathy tone. Edward thanked his past self for memorizing the school map last night. If he had to spend the day with this girl, who knows what would have happened to him?

"Hello Jessica, nice to meet you. Unfortunately, I don't need help finding my classes-it was great of you to offer help. See you around," Edward said as he walked briskly to the front office to get his schedule. He sent a plea to any entity that might have been listening that he would never have to meet Jessica in his classes. At least he managed to get away before she started batting her eyelashes at him.

The day proceeded as expected. He had to introduce himself in every class, and he groaned as the lunch bell rang. His classmate, Eric, invited him to sit with him at lunch. So at least he wouldn't be a loser sitting by himself on his first day. He listened to Eric complain about the uselessness of calculus as they paid for their lunch. With any luck, Jessica wouldn't be sitting at the same-Edward had to stop his train of thought as Eric sat down with his tray at her table. He cursed internally as he tried to think of an excuse to skip lunch. Before he could say anything though, someone bumped into him. It was like he had very briefly leaned against a marble pillar. Solid and unyielding. He looked back to see a petite girl with short black spiky hair look apologetic as she held a bottle of clear fruit juice.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay? Edward right? I spilled some juice on your jacket, let me clean it off. Come sit at my table while I get it dry."

Edward could only nod as he was pretty much dragged to a table in the corner. He mouthed an apology to Eric as Jessica looked disappointed. The other kids almost seemed jealous... And fearful? Why would they be afraid? He scrutinised Alice carefully. Nothing in her body language or facial expression told him that she meant him harm. Did she do something to make them afraid of her? Edward had to take his jacket off quickly as Alice waited for him impatiently. He noted that she didn't like waiting at all. Her irritation made him chuckle. She sent him a dirty look as she went to work on the wet spot with tissues from god-knows-where. Where did she get those tissues from? The question was on the tip of his tongue just as a nearby door opened. The smell of freesia. He knew it from yesterday. When he looked up, amber eyes stared back. The color seemed to draw him in. The soft giggle from Alice broke him out of the staring contest as he frowned. He realized that the only person not finding his lapse of concentration amusing was the girl he had been rudely staring at. But when he looked at her again, he was dumbstruck by her laughter. The sound of her laughter reminded him of a clear-toned bell, sounds untainted by imperfection. Who...

"You might want to close your mouth before flies go in Edward. I don't think our Isabella would find that charming," Alice stated.

"Hah, not like he could do any worse at this point Pix. Any longer, and Bells here might not even look in his direction," said the muscular teen to his right. The smiling expression on his face showed that he was only joking. Edward noted that he, along with everyone but him at the table, had yellow colored eyes. There were different shades of yellow for each person, but yellow nonetheless.

"Name's Emmett. I'll be seeing you a lot Edward, but if that's your reaction everytime you see Isabella..." he trailed off into a chuckle as Edward flushed.

"My brother here is Jasper. He's pretty boring, into history and all that. You probably won't want to hang out with him since I'm here," Emmett boasted with a grin directed to the blond teen. Edward noted that Jasper seemed to be in pain. The grimace, poorly disguised, told him that it seemed to fluctuate in waves. The severity of his grimace would shift based on something...

"Angela here is a total bookworm. If you like reading or whatever, she can recommend a good book or two... Except for that Starlight book. Man, that book is garbage."

"I thought you would have liked it Emmett, especially since you happen to be lacking in the girlfriend department for quite a while. Several years in fact," Angela stated primly. She smiled innocently as Emmett gaped at her vicious comment. Edward almost felt sorry for him. He could tell this was not the first time that Angela teased him in this manner.

"Don't mind them too much Mason. They never grow up. You get used to it eventually," Isabella said as she rolled her eyes. Both Angela and Emmett were starting to bicker about a bet they made this morning. Edward didn't hear anything more as he could only focus on Isabella. She smiled faintly at him. Edward, like any normal teenage boy, was familiar with puppy love and infatuation. But this... This was serious. A shot from cupids arrow, straight to the heart.

Alice made sure to give him back his jacket when it was dry, and he tucked it into his backpack. The lunch period was spent with Angela and Emmett bickering as Alice interjected every now and then. Isabella just watched them with an amused expression. Edward tried to come up with a way to start conversation with her, but he couldn't think of anything when he looked at her. When Edward finally managed to compose himself, the bell rang. Lunch was ending. Isabella gave him a nod before leaving for her next class. He couldn't even ask her if he could walk her there. Edward just stared after her.

"Uh-oh, looks like Eddy here has a serious crush on our sister. What should we do about this?" Emmett said as he elbowed Jasper in the side. Jasper did his best to ignore his idiot of a brother. He walked off as Emmett pouted. Alice giggled as Emmett posed for dramatic effect.

"Emmett, please get off the floor. If I have to step on you to get to class, I will," Angela blithely remarked. She closed her book as she got up. Edward saw that she didn't have a bookmark where she closed the book. A little unusual, but Emmett's yelp distracted him immediately.

"Really Angie, did you have to step on my hand? I'll never be able to play football again. What's going to happen to my scholarship?"

"You don't have a scholarship Emmett. Also, you suck at football. Nice try."

Angela rolled her eyes as he wailed about the unfairness of it all. She waved goodbye to Edward before kicking Emmett gently in the side 'accidently' as she walked away. Emmett huffed as he stood up.

"Family. Can't live with them."

Edward waited for the rest of his sentence, but Emmett just winked at him. Alice chirped out a 'see you later' as she left as well. Edward slung his pack over his shoulder as he got out of his seat. Then he almost dropped his backpack as Emmett slapped him on the back. He stumbled a bit as Emmett chuckled.

"Be seeing you soon, Eddie. Make sure to sit with us again tomorrow."

Edward stared at him. How was he supposed to respond? He gave a nod of agreement before heading to his psychology class.

When he entered the classroom, everyone else but the teacher was already there. He noticed right away that there were three empty seats. One in the front, one near the middle, and the last in the back next to Isabella. There was no-one else besides her that he knew by name. So he made the obvious choice; he picked the seat in the back. Isabella didn't react at all when he sat down. Edward couldn't help feeling a little unwanted. Did her lack of reaction mean that she didn't want him sitting next to her? Should he move? Just as he was about to get up, Isabella turned to him.

"You can stay. I don't mind."

Edward settled into his seat as he pulled out a notebook. He tried to pretend that he couldn't feel her staring at him. Did it feel warm in the classroom, or was it just him? When he met her gaze, he realized that it must have been him. He could feel his cleeks flush as he stared back. Isabella looked away and he felt lost. There were other students looking back at them every now and then. Maybe he should have just sat at the front. Then he wouldn't be able to notice the staring.

"The teacher isn't coming today. She had to take her kid to the hospital, so we have a free period," Isabella stated. Edward tried not to look like he was just staring at her lips as she talked.

"Right. That's cool. I mean-" Edward said as Isabella raised an eyebrow at him,

"-it's nice having a free period. Not great that her kid is sick."

Isabella smiled faintly at him. He wondered what she looked like when she felt really happy. She was so reserved around everyone, even her family.

"Just read up to chapter 12 in the textbook and you'll be set. Mrs. Stewart isn't too big on pop-quizzes or homework, but if you don't read the material you'll probably fail the monthly tests."

"Cool. Great. She sounds awesome."

He wanted to keep talking to her, but he couldn't come up with anything without sounding like an idiot. Then again, Isabella probably already thought he was an idiot anyway.

"How do you like Forks so far? I heard from the rumor mill that you're from Chicago?"

"Yeah. My father decided that this move was a good idea. Too bad he's not around to enjoy the scenery."

Isabella hummed under her breath as she doodled on a sticky note. Edward thought that it might have been a four-legged animal of some kind, but he wasn't too sure.

"At least it's quieter out here. As long as you don't get drawn into some drama, I think you'll like it here. I know Jessica has her eyes on you already," she stated absentmindedly. Edward didn't want to talk about Jessica, but he also didn't want to be rude. She seemed to notice his reluctance, and changed the topic.

"About Emmett. He's an idiot, but he was excited to meet you. Honestly, he was about to invite you to play games with him before we told him to slow down. He can be a bit much sometimes."

"Oh. I don't mind," Edward said casually. But he did mind. She stared at him as he tried not to fidget. Her eyes almost seemed to pierce through his white lie.

"Right. I'll keep that in mind the next time a stranger invites you over to play with them," Isabella replied as she went back to doodling. Edward wasn't sure what he did wrong. Should he apologise? For what though?

"What's your type Edward? I know you don't like Jessica. Not the preppy type then. What about Angela? I think you guys would be good together."

"My type? I-I don't really have a type..." Edward said. Another lie. If Isabella hadn't been so focused on her doodling she would have seen him look at her before looking away bashfully. Edward saw the smirk on her face as she kept her gaze down. Did she know?

"Well, that's too bad. By the way, Alice is already taken. I don't think Jasper would be too happy if you made a move on her."

Edward wasn't sure where Isabella was going with this, but it was the perfect time to ask her an important question.

"What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Hmm... Not yet. I'm waiting for now."

He wanted to ask what she meant, but the bell rung at that moment. Maybe if he hurried up he could offer to walk her to her next class. Right as he zipped up his pack she handed him the doodle.

"What is this?" he asked as he admired the drawing. It reminded him of the art style from Tom and Jerry.

"A lamb. I thought you'd appreciate it. Especially since your hair is what inspired it," Isabella stated as she left the classroom. Edward wasn't sure if it was an insult or a compliment. When he arrived to his chemistry class and sat down, he made sure to tuck the note safely into the front of his binder. The writing under the drawing caught his eye then. He leaned in closer as he read the tiny, neat cursive. 'The lost little lamb.'

"Dude, what was that all about? What did the Cullens say to you?"

He wasn't sure why he was being ambushed by his new friend in world history, but maybe Eric had a valid reason for it. Luckily the teacher had put on a movie about the civil war and proceeded to read a book as he sat back in his chair.

"Alice spilled some juice when she bumped into me and offered a seat at her table while she cleaned off my jacket. That's it. Nothing else happened."

Eric snorted, then apologised as the girl in front of him looked back in disgust.

"Nothing happened? You have to be kidding me. You're the only one who has EVER been invited to sit with the Cullens. What did they talk about? Are you sitting with them again tomorrow?"

"Emmett made a few jokes and Angela is pretty cool. Jasper's the only one who didn't say anything."

"Not surprised. That guy never speaks. The teachers don't even bother asking him questions anymore. Wait, does that mean you talked to Isabella? That's huge dude."

Edward could feel his brows raise as he felt confusion.

"Really? I just talked to her last period. We made small talk and-"

"What?! Are you serious?!" Eric whispered as loud as he could. He had to apologise again as the girl glared back at them.

"Why is that a big deal? She just asked me about how I felt about Forks so far."

Eric leaned in closer for dramatic effect, but had to pull back as his desk almost fell over. Edward gave him a look people usually reserved for idiotcy of the highest degree.

"Dude, Isabella doesn't DO small talk. People say hello to her, and she just ignores them."

Edward wasn't sure what he did to get her attention, but he could read Eric's resentment easily.

"Don't tell me you asked her out. Is that why you're asking me all these questions? I just moved here. Do I look like I know why they invited me lunch?"

Eric held up a finger as if to make a point, but put his hand down when he couldn't come up with anything.

"And before you ask, I'm not going to ask Isabella if she would like to go out with you or anything. That's weird. She barely knows me."

Eric sighed in disappointment as he sat back.

"Had to try at least. Isabella doesn't know what she's missing."

Edward doubted that, but he kept his mouth shut. Why did Emmett tell him to sit with them again? It was strange...

Edward flinched as a small wad of paper hit his forehead.

"Hey! What was that for?"

Eric just shrugged as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

"Felt like it," he said as he ignored Edward's exasperation.

"Whatever. Not cool."

When Edward was finally free from the last class of the day, he had to deal with the stares as he walked to his car. If the attention had been bad this morning, it was worse after lunch with the Cullens. He had a feeling that he would have been mobbed in the parking lot if it wasn't for the Cullens being there as well. Alice and Emmett waved at him and he waved back. Angela just nodded as Jasper was on his phone. Speaking of Cullens, why were they still there? He expected them to leave as soon as they could. Just as he reached his car and was about to unlock the door, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Fuc-oh. Sorry, you kind of startled me."

Isabella picked up his keys from the ground and handed them back to him as he blushed.

"Emmett wanted me to remind you that you're sitting with us for lunch tomorrow," Isabella stated casually. Then she walked away. Edward looked over at Emmett as the Cullens got in their cars. Emmett grinned and gave him a thumbs up as he drove his jeep out of the parking lot. Edward felt lost.


	2. Closed Book

When Edward finally went to lunch the next day, he still wasn't sure why Emmett thought he needed a reminder from Isabella. Did Emmett think he forgot? In any case, it wasn't a big deal. He shrugged mentally as he paid for his substandard lunch of wilted salad, some meat patty sandwich, and a decent apple. At least the apple looked good. He had almost reached the Cullens when he managed to trip on a chair leg. The stumbling didn't send anything flying but his apple had rolled off his tray. It almost hit the floor when a delicate hand grabbed it midair.

"Here. Next time, try not to fall over Mason," Isabella said with a chuckle. Edward could feel his cheeks burn as he caught the apple.

"Nice one Bells. I knew there was a reason why you're the pitcher," Emmett remarked playfully.

"You mean catcher. Pitchers throw balls Emmie. You do know that right?"

"Uh, yeah, duh. Of course Angie. That's in baseball. I'm not stupid."

Angela hummed as if she didn't believe him.

"Right. How many innings are in a regulation game?"

Emmett smiled, then frowned as he started to count on his fingers.

"Eight? Wait, seven. Hold on, why is this important? We don't play baseball like that anyway."

Edward wasn't sure if he should answer for Emmett. Instead, he started eating as they continued to bicker. Jasper paid them no attention as he was occupied with something on his phone. Alice rolled her eyes at them as she asked Isabella about a shopping trip next weekend. He noted that Isabella seemed to panic briefly before glancing at him.

"I'm busy that day Alice. There's a project coming up and Edward is going to be my partner."

Edward choked on his apple. Alice thumped him on the back lightly as he managed to swallow. Isabella just smiled at him.

"I'm your partner?"

"Yes Mason, you're my partner. Try to keep up with the conversation. I was going to ask you in class, but this is faster. And more amusing."

"Bella! He almost died today. Maybe you shouldn't have said that when he was chewing," Alice rebuked. Isabella just shrugged.

"Yeah, he could've, but he didn't."

Emmett whistled as he patted Edward on the shoulder.

"That's cold Izzy. Just think about what Eddy here feels."

Isabella shrugged again as Edward blushed from all the attention.

"I did. He would have agreed anyway, so why bother asking?"

Alice didn't look pleased, and Jasper looked up briefly to hold her hand. It seemed to calm her down a little.

"That's not the point Bella. You should have given him a choice at least. What if he didn't want to be your partner? What about what his feelings about the matter?"

Edward wasn't sure, but it didn't seem like they were talking about the project now. He tried to get Emmett's attention, but the muscular teen was making sure not to look at him. Emmett stared at the ceiling as he nonchalantly counted something out loud. Angela was reading a book that she had whipped out of nowhere. Edward was sure she didn't have that book out before.

"I know that some things might look set in stone, but we all know that a lot can change. Maybe it wouldn't hurt being nicer."

Isabella huffed, but didn't bother arguing.

"YOU know, but I still think that this is a terrible idea. I only want him to be my partner so you won't complain about how I'm trying to avoid him. I didn't want to do this in the first place Alice, but no, you just HAD to insist."

Now Edward felt completely lost. What were they even talking about?

"Isabella Marie Cullen, you and I both know that this isn't something you can just ignore. He doesn't even know..." Alice trailed off as if she realised that Edward was paying attention.

"Nice going Alice. Have fun trying to lie to Edward about this," Isabella retorted as she walked off. She didn't even take her untouched tray. Alice rolled her eyes as she turned to Edward.

"Sorry about that. It's not you, it's about something else. She has commitment issues."

Edward wasn't sure how that factored into a school project, but reserved judgement for the future. If he needed to know he'd find out eventually.

Isabella ignored him as he sat down. He tried not to let it show as he glanced at her every now and then. The teacher's announcement about partnering for a project almost didn't register as he was brooding about what happened earlier.

"Mason."

Edward almost fell out of his chair as he turned abruptly towards Isabella. She smiled, but only briefly.

"Would you be my partner for the project?"

Edward nodded dumbly. Then he stopped when Isabella gave him the look.

"Yes. I would like to be your partner."

After that, Isabella didn't talk to him further. He felt some disappointment, but there would be time later to chat. Surely she wouldn't stay silent when they worked on the project? Edward wasn't sure. One thing he was certain of though-if Isabella told him to jump, he would gladly look like an idiot for her sake. It was strange now that he thought about it. He didn't know anything about her except for her name, and that she enjoyed teasing him. Was this actual love, or was it just infatuation? None of this made sense. When he tried to catch her eye at the end of the period, she just walked away. Was he imagining her interest? Just because he was the only person besides her family she talked to didn't mean that she liked him. Right? He would have kept thinking about it all but Eric had suddenly appeared in his personal space.

"What the hell man? Too close."

Eric smirked as he pretended to slick his hair back.

"Whatever. We both know you couldn't handle all this."

Edward rolled his eyes as Eric winked at him. At least he could count on Eric to be the comic relief.

"So," Eric started as he twirled his pencil, "I heard that a certain someone asked you to be their partner for a school project. How'd you do it? What's your secret?"

He had to push the end of the pencil out of his face as Eric pouted. The girl sitting in front of Eric snorted. To his credit, Eric did seem a little embarrassed.

"Seriously, how do you do it? Right on your first day you got her attention. Come on, you gotta give me something."

Usually Edward didn't feel uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what to say. Eric crossed his arms as he looked away.

"Fine, I see how it is. It used to be bros before hoes. I don't blame you though. Isabella is fine as hell."

Edward had to ignore the twinge of anger as he pretended not to listen. At least the teacher was too absorbed in his book to notice that the whole class wasn't watching the movie. Speaking of which, why did anyone even bother coming to this class? The teacher didn't even take roll.

"What's up with this class? Does the teacher actually teach or..." Edward trailed off.

"Nah. Turns out he made a bet with the principal and he won, so all he does is play some old history documentaries. He doesn't need to teach anyway, everything's in the textbook. Nice right?"

"... If you say so. Is there a reason why we need to take this class? What's to stop someone just skipping this period?"

"Nothing. Faust is cool, he knows that nobody cares about world history anyway. As long as you don't fail the mid-term exam, he doesn't care if you don't come to class. But if you fail..." Eric shuddered as he thought about the consequences.

"Just make sure to pass it, that's all I'm going to say."

Edward made a mental note to set aside time to study for at least an hour. He didn't know what would happen if he failed the mid-term.

"So... We could just go home early instead of coming to this class?"

Eric shrugged, then realised what Edward just said.

"Dude... why didn't I think of that? No wonder half the class isn't here."

Edward resisted the urge to face-palm as Eric smacked his head against his desk.

"Seriously, you two are SO annoying. Go sit somewhere else," the girl said as she glared at the two boys. Edward held his hands up as Eric apologised yet again.

"Why are you saying sorry to this girl anyway?"

Eric shushed him as he moved them to the back.

"She's scary man. She actually pays attention in this class. Something's not right about her."

"You're being a bit of a doushe, you know that?"

Eric shrugged, not bothered in the least.

"When you got it, flaunt it. Wait, is that how it goes?"

Edward asked himself why he had made friends with Eric in the first place.

"Do you even know her name?"

"Yeah, she's... Hes... Herm, no, wait, Helene. I think. Not sure. Everyone usually just calls her Garner. She's a huge bookworm, so she doesn't really have any friends."

Edward could tell the girl heard Eric's not so quiet remark as she glared back at them before going back to taking notes. Great. Hopefully Isabella wasn't friends with her. She already had a poor first impression of him.

When the bell finally rang Edward waited as Eric shoved his things into his bag. He wasn't sure why he had all of it out when they didn't even do anything. He didn't bother asking. Knowing Eric, he'd just make a stupid joke. They walked together through the crowd to the parking lot. Edward saw that the Cullens were already there. Like yesterday, they were standing around talking. Edward wondered if this was routine. He waved as Eric said goodbye. This time he checked for anyone coming up behind him as he unlocked the car. A twinge of disappointment was brushed aside as he climbed into the volvo. Tomorrow. He would take the initiative and talk to Isabella at lunch. He would ask her about when they were working on the project. A safe topic that she would have to answer. He nodded to himself as he decided. The engine reluctantly roared into action as he started to back out. Then he had to stomp on the brake as a familiar Jeep rushed past his car. He could see Emmett lean out and wave at him cheerfully as the Jeep left the lot. Edward noted to himself that he would need to pay Emmett back.

Edward was sure that history had to be the most boring subject, but it wouldn't do to fail after Eric's warning. He put his pen down and leaned on the windowsill as he stared out at the woods. It was getting dark, and it was starting to rain. He breathed in as the raindrops got heavier. Edward pulled his head in before his hair was soaked and closed the window. He took one last look but something moved suddenly in the distance. A speck of yellow in the corner of his eye. When he leaned in, he couldn't see it anymore.

"Huh. Must have been..." he was about to brush it off. Then he remembered the feeling of being watched the first day he arrived. Was there someone in the woods... Watching him? But why? Edward opened the window back up and paid no heed to the fact that the heavy rain was soaking his shirt. His ears strained for anything besides the sound of rainfall. Nothing. A shiver ran up his spine, but it wasn't the rain that caused it.

Second period was government. Nothing special, but today he walked in to the sight of Isabella sitting next to his assigned seat. He had to resist the urge to pinch himself as he tried to keep his cool. By her expression he could tell that he had failed. He sat down and tried to pretend that everything was normal while his classmates were whispering about Isabella. They were just as confused as him about her sudden presence. The teacher just ignored the whispers as he checked his roll and started his lecture on the Supreme Court. Edward tried to be subtle when he looked to his right, but Isabella waved mockingly as she smirked at him. He looked down at his notes. He was probably going to fail this class if he didn't pay attention.

Usually when everyone else was talking about their crushes and who they liked, Edward always thought that hormones were overrated. But here he was, almost drooling as Isabella leaned in to correct his quiz. She had moved her desk closer earlier, and he cursed the fact that he found her especially attractive today. It must have been the shimmery pink lip gloss. Or that tantalising scent of freesia and rainfall. Her lips captivated him to the point that Isabella caught him staring. Again.

"Mason. You got number 5 and 9 wrong. Those are the easiest questions on the quiz. Are you even paying attention?"

Edward blushed as she sighed in discontent.

"I tried-"

"Trying isn't enough. Sometimes you need to make sure before you commit to an answer."

His brow furrowed as he heard the double meaning in her statement.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Isabella didn't bother to answer. She finished correcting his quiz and moved her desk back to where it was in silence. He could hear the whispers as everyone watched him. So much for talking to Isabella at lunch. He sank down in his seat as he tried to ignore everyone else.

He spent most of 3rd and 4th period paying attention in class as everyone else gossiped about what happened between Isabella and him. Somehow there was a rumor going around that she had rejected his confession. The looks of pity would have made him angry if he cared about their opinions. Eric gave him a thumbs up of encouragement, and Edward did his best to ignore it as he walked past. He made sure not to trip over anything as he sat down next to Emmett. Jasper gave him a small smile before retreating back to his regular grimace. He wondered if that meant the blond sympathised with him. On what, he could only speculate at this point. Isabella wasn't sitting at the table. It looked like she was skipping lunch.

"I heard that you got rejected Eddy. Don't worry, Bells is just playing hard to get," Emmett said with a wink. Edward groaned as he shoved a fish stick in his mouth. He wanted to deny it but that would make it seem like he really had confessed, then been rejected by Isabella.

"Don't worry Edward, this idiot is just trying to get a reaction from you. He knows he has no business poking his nose into this. Right, Emmett?"

Emmett looked ready to say something in response to Angela, but her pointed look seemed to quiet him. Edward thought that she must have some type of blackmail on him.

"Whatever. Too bad about the whole thing Eddie. She didn't even tell US about changing her class period. It would've sucked if she had to give up her free period, then we would have had to come to school earlier."

Edward must have looked confused as Angela smacked Emmett in the back of his head.

"Oww! What was that for?"

"I don't know Emmett, why don't you figure it out for once?" said Angela. She turned to Edward then.

"All of us have first period free. Homeschooling and tutoring before we came here. So we don't come here until later. Isabella could have told us about changing from Spanish to Government, but that's her decision. Not yours, Emmett."

"Yeah, sure," said the thick-headed Cullen. He should have said it softer as Angela responded with another smack to his head. Edward had to quickly move his tray as Emmett dramatically draped himself over the table. It was then that he noted that the Cullens were not eating lunch today. None of them had gotten trays.

"When will this abuse end," he wailed dramatically. Edward could feel the curious stares of everyone else but the Cullens due to the spectacle. Alice giggled and Jasper had already leaned back as he kept tapping on his phone. His glance prompted an answer from Alice.

"He's playing Candy Crush. I don't know why, but he finds it fun."

Jasper's unamused frown had Alice laugh daintily as she leaned into him. Edward thought that he might contract diabetes if they continued on like that. Angela's snort indicated that she agreed with his unspoken thought.

"Don't take it personally Edward. Isabella has... A lot to think about right now."

He waited for Angela to explain, but the bookworm just gave him a small smile. Edward knew that he wouldn't get anything more out of her.

"So, are you guys not eating lunch today or what?" he asked.

"Yeah, today's a diet day. Doctor's orders," Emmett muttered into the table.

"Doctor's orders?"

"Our father. He's a doctor. Maybe you'll see him one day. Hopefully not at the hospital," said Angela.

After that discussion, Edward had to rush to finish his lunch as Angela and Emmett continued to bicker. When he said goodbye and threw away his tray, he wondered if he would be able to talk to Isabella in Psych. He felt hopeful. That feeling was sunk when she pointedly looked away as he sat down. The teacher, a brunette woman, took role. She looked a bit young to be teaching high schoolers - Edward wondered why she would subject herself to this job. Mrs. Stewart ignored all the personal questions as she turned on a video projected onto the whiteboard. The lights cut off as the narration started with Freud. What was with the teachers playing videos? Faust, he could understand. Well... He couldn't complain. Now he could talk to Isabella.

"Hey. Um... So are you... Uh... Mad at me?"

Isabella scoffed at him. The teacher heard her, but ignored it. In fact, the teacher was ignoring everyone in favor of her phone. Edward thought that maybe this was just how it was in a school from a small town.

"Look Mason. There's more at stake for me then your silly crush. You're cute. But I have a lot to think about."

"Does that mean I can't be your partner?"

Isabella rolled her eyes. Edward felt her unspoken scorn.

"My god Mason, that's what your worried about? Don't worry, you're my partner. Starting from today, you're my partner for every class we have together. Happy? Does that ease your precious ego?"

If her tone wasn't enough, the air quotes she made when she said precious had him flush almost violently. She smirked as the redness reminded her of a stop sign.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is but, I, I didn't do anything to you okay? Why are you-"

"Why? You say you didn't do anything Edward? I know that. Lighten up Mason. I was joking. You know, having a laugh? Being sarcastic? Boys and their egos, I swear."

He felt like a first class idiot as he made a point to end the conversation there. Isabella wasn't fooled as he pretended to take notes.

Eric whistled as Edward finished telling him about Psych. They were sitting in his volvo, skipping World History.

"Dude, Isabella is savage as F. I'm glad I didn't ask her out."

Edward gave him a wtf look as Eric fiddled with the passenger side window control. He had to engage the window lock as the teen kept flicking the switch.

"Dude. I wasn't going to, like, break it. You have no chill sometimes."

Edward resisted the urge to bang his head against the drivers window. At least it was a Friday. A weekend before he had to see the Cullens at school.

"Whatever. What are you doing tomorrow?"

Eric hummed under his breathe as he scratched at something on the window.

"Don't know. The beach down at La Push is all right. You surf?"

Edward didn't know how, but it sounded better than being alone.

"No. Sounds cool."

"It isn't hard. I'll text you later bro."

Edward nodded as Eric got out to head home. The school bell had rung. Everyone that went to their last class had been let out. Edward started the engine just as he caught sight of Isabella. She waved at him mockingly. He just concentrated on driving home, her smirk needling his absent-minded thoughts.


	3. Normality

"Hang ten bro!"

Edward swore as he slipped off the board. When he resurfaced it was to Eric laughing at him. He paddled over to his friend. When he reached Eric the tether attached to the board had somehow managed to get tangled up with his legs. He had to kick his legs free as Eric doubled over in hysterics at his predicament. Edward did the only thing he could at that point. He tipped Eric's board over. There was a wide grin on his face as Eric resurfaced with a sputter.

"Now we're even," Edward said.

"Not yet," Eric said with a smirk.

Then he splashed him. Edward had to spit water out as Eric tried to swim away.

"Coward! Get back here!"

Eric ignored him as he ran through the shallows to shore. The teen had to stop to detach the tether and drop the board on the sand. Edward took that moment to catch up and tackle him. They wrestled for a bit before Eric managed to drag him back into the shallows by the tether still attached to his ankle. They broke out in laughter after Edward shoved a handful of seaweed into his hair.

"Bro, they've got a bonfire set up. Ditch the board," Eric said as he picked out some seaweed that had somehow gotten into his ear.

Edward made sure to leave his board near the other one before catching up with his friend.

"The football team could learn a thing or two from you bro. That actually hurt a little."

"Really?"

"Nah. I've had worse from Jessica," Eric joked.

Edward rolled his eyes as he sat down on a log near the bonfire.

"Do I even want to know?"

Eric settled down on a nearby log and started toasting a marshmallow. He felt a little cold but the fire was warming him up a little. He could see other people scattered around exploring the woods or eating hotdogs off a makeshift grill near the parked cars. There was brief movement in the corner of his eye. A car was rocking back and forth as a flannel shirt caught in the rear window blocked his view. It had to be... Edward flushed as he realized what was going on.

"Hey. You new? Haven't seen you around before," the dark-skinned teenager said as he sat next to Edward.

Edward just looked at him before he snapped out of his embarrassment.

"Back off Laurent, he's not interested."

Laurent flicked a dreadlock out of his face as he scowled at Eric.

"Yeah right. Uh, have you seen me? Go find someone else to talk to," Laurent said with a cocky smirk.

Edward scooted away from the taller boy. He was starting to feel uncomfortable. Laurent just edged closer as Eric looked like he was about to start throwing a fit. He noted absentmindedly that Eric's marshmallow was on fire.

"Yo Laurent! Paul's about to fight with one of them natives, come check it out!"

"For real? Sorry, uh, I'll catch ya later," he said to Edward as he ran off.

Edward breathed out a sigh of relief as Eric let out a yelp.

"Bro, my marshmallow is all melted! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Kinda had more important things to worry about," he replied.

"You owe me one bro."

"Owe you what, a marshmallow? You didn't even buy these. Whose marshmallows are these?"

Eric shrugged as he tossed the ruined stick in the direction of the shallows. Edward grabbed a stick and skewered a marshmallow before handing it to Eric. Eric started toasting again as Edward watched the flames crackle and and dance from a light breeze.

"So, uh, that was Laurent. That guy that was talking to him is James. Paul, the guy that fights a lot is kinda their friend. They're like, the three dousheketeers."

Edward raised a brow at the lame moniker.

"Seriously, that's a thing? Who came up with that?"

Eric just shrugged as he turned his stick for an even toasting.

"Dunno. Just stuck. At least you didn't have to deal with them. They, uh, sometimes come around our table at lunch. I think Jessica is dating James. Or Laurent. Maybe both of them, not sure."

"Is Laurent gay or..." Edward questioned.

"Idk bro. He does whatever. Why, you, uh, afraid for your butt virginity?" Eric teased.

"No, I'm not a homophobe, just not into dudes," Edward stated firmly.

"I feel you bro. It's cool, uh, I'm not into that either. Ladies man right here," Eric said with an exaggerated flourish of his stick.

Edward had to lean back for fear of being poked by the end.

"Yeah, sure. You do you."

"Wish I could. Girls are crazy bro," Eric said as he nibbled on his marshmallow.

"I was seeing this chick Casey. She's cool, you know, but she said she wanted a break. Like, what does that even mean," Eric continued without any prompting.

"That sucks. Maybe you should break up."

He could tell right away that he had put his foot into his mouth.

"We did. I, uh, I mean, she did. With me. Like, just last week."

"Oh... That sucks..." Edward trailed off.

"Yeah..." Eric said as he stared into the bonfire.

Edward could hear a group of natives approaching. One of them plopped down in front of the fire to sit on the sand. He looked upset as he aggressively opened a beer from a nearby cooler and chugged it.

"Calm down man, that doushe wasn't worth it," said a burly teen.

He was tall - all of them were actually, now that Edward could see them more clearly - with a buzz cut starting to grow out. It was starting to curl slightly. The curly haired teen and the other teen barely spared Eric and Edward a glance as they sat next to the angry boy.

"Jared, come on. Kim isn't even mad, and she's the one that got hit on," the curly haired boy said as he punched Jared lightly on the shoulder.

The other teen nodded, focusing on roasting a marshmallow. He was slender and also had cropped black hair like Jared.

"Like you guys understand. I saw the look in his eyes, like he was..."

Jared seemed to shake as he clenched his fists. Edward looked at Eric as if asking him if they should leave the three to their conversation. The curly haired teen sighed, then noticed them. His grin was very impish.

"Wassup Eric. Whose your friend? He's the new kid right? Name's Quil. Quil Ateara the fifth, but I prefer Quil."

Edward shook his outstretched hand. Quil's hand felt hot as he enthusiastically pumped his arm up and down. When he let go Edward couldn't resist smiling back. The grin on Quil's face seemed infectious.

"Edward Mason. It's nice to meet you Quil. And.. Uh, Jared right?"

Jared gave a nod in response as the unnamed teen handed him a smore.

"Thanks. This is Embry, he doesn't talk much."

Embry gave a nod in Edward's direction as he started making another smore.

"So, uh, what was all that about a fight? I heard it was Paul starting shit again," Eric said.

Jared and Quil shared a look. Edward thought that there must be some history between them and Paul.

"Yeah, Paul never knows when to keep his mouth shut. But I can't say anything about that. Family stuff," Quil said.

"S'cool man. We don't want to pry," Eric said as he picked sand out from between his toes.

"Was he hitting on your girl?"

Jared snorted as he chugged another beer.

"I wish, then I could've had a good reason to hit him. His buddy James came up while we were arguing and was using pick-up lines on my girl."

Jared had worked himself back into anger when he finished speaking. Embry handed him another smore that Jared shoved into his mouth.

"Oh. Your girl wasn't into him, right?"

Edward thought that was the worst question Eric could've asked. He could almost feel Jared's hostility as the teen glared at Eric. Qui laid a hand on Jared's shoulder. He thought that the gesture was more about restraining the angry teen than comforting him.

"No, of course not. Kim's mine," Jared said. The way he said it was almost a snarl. Edward felt uncomfortable.

"Did you get him good at least? The ass could use a black eye or two."

Jared was about to answer but Embry shoved another smore into his mouth.

"I wish. The elders told us to leave you pale-faces alone. If we knew nobody would care then I would've let Jared beat him up," Quil said.

Embry nodded in agreement as he continued to make smores. Jared gave him a dirty look as he washed down the smore with another beer. Was that his third or fourth beer? Edward could see that he still seemed sober.

"Man, seriously? Lame. I was actually looking forward to seeing him at school."

Eric met Jared's gaze for a few tense seconds before they broke out in laughter. Edward sighed in exasperation. He had thought that Eric was about to catch a fist to the face. Quil chuckled as he let his hand drop from Jared's shoulder. It seemed a little odd. Jared was cool so far. Maybe he had some anger management issues.

"You're all right for a pale-face. A little skinny like a string bean, but you're okay," Jared said.

The teen had slowed down but Edward could count at least six empty cans piled up in front of him.

"String bean? Yeah right. I'm muscular," Eric said as he flexed his arm.

Jared grinned as Quil chuckled. Edward facepalmed as even Embry paused to shoot Eric a look of disbelief.

"What muscle? Do you even lift?" Jared asked as he flexed.

The muscles of his arm were significantly more impressive than Eric's posturing. Eric huffed as he looked away.

"Whatever. I'll be hella buff, just wait and see."

Jared laughed as Eric pouted.

"You guys have some secret workout or somethin'? Come on, you gotta tell us."

Edward frowned. He wasn't lacking in the muscle department... Or so he though. Quil looked at them like he was checking prices at the supermarket. It was strangely invasive - as if he knew more than Edward.

"Naw man. It's in our genes. We lucked out," Quil said nonchalantly. Eric slumped over and picked at the bark of his log.

"Some people have all the luck."

Edward couldn't help but smile at Eric's depressed tone.

"Hey, I heard something happened. Everything all right?"

Another native ran up to the bonfire. He was tall and gangly with cropped black hair. Edward wondered if the hairstyle was a trend in La Push. The teen looked younger, his wide eyes sparkling in the dim firelight.

"A little late for that Seth. Weren't you supposed to be on patrol?"

Seth smiled sheepishly as he avoided looking Jared in the eyes.

"Yeah, but... It's boring, and nothing was happening. I heard the arguing and thought you might want backup..."

Jared looked incredulous, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline.

"From all the way out there? I'm impressed."

Seth coughed into his hand as he blushed.

"I was close by... I thought that Leah wouldn't mind if I dropped by for a few minutes..."

Jared rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wallet to hand Embry a five dollar bill.

"Great. Thanks for that. Just lost five bucks."

Edward glanced at Eric as if questioning what was going on. Eric shrugged.

"You should get back to patrol before she finds out. You're lucky she's busy right now," Jared said.

He briefly looked towards the car with the rear window covered by the blue flannel shirt. Edward realized that the Leah chick must be in there with someone. Quil smirked at his pink complexion. Seth noticed him looking at the car as well.

"Ewww, I did not need to know my sis is banging some dude in a car!"

"Well, you'll be happy to know that it's a girl. Leah's been mooning over her for weeks," Jared said with a face that said he was over her pining.

Seth grimaced as he resolved to pretend he didn't hear about the whole thing.

"Oh, before you go. Edward, Eric, this is Seth, resident goof ball. Now get back to work while you're sister is still busy," Quil said.

He had to dodge the twig thrown at his head by Seth.

"Gross. I was gunna go anyway. See you guys around..." Seth didn't finish his sentence.

He locked eyes with Eric, who just looked back confused. His posture was stiff, as though the boy lost the ability to move his limbs.

"Hey man, you alright?" Eric asked.

Seth snapped out of his trance. Jared and Quil shared a worried glance as Embry frowned. Their reactions were unusual. Edward thought that there was something strange going on in La Push.

"Yeah, uhhhh, I'm good. Never better," Seth replied.

His smile was unconvincing. He jogged towards the woods and tripped over a rock as he reached the trees.

"What was that about?" Edward asked.

"Nothing. He's a bit of a space case. He probably remembered something," Jared said.

Edward didn't believe him, but it didn't seem like it was any of his business.

"Huh. Weird. Anyway... you guys have, like, legends and ghost stories right?" Eric asked.

Quil and Jared shared yet another look. Edward was getting sick of the secrecy.

"Maybe a story about wolves would be cool. I heard that it's against tribal law to kill a wolf. What's that all about?" Edward asked.

Eric looked interested. Jared looked conflicted but Quil started speaking before he did.

"Yeah. There's a legend that the tribe - the Quileutes - are descended from wolves. It's weird, but it's whatever. And there are stories about the cold ones."

Quil ignored the warning glare from Jared. Embry had a look of resignation as he patted Jared on the back.

"The cold ones? What, do they have poor blood circulation or something?"

Quil chuckled at Edward's question.

"You'd think, yeah? I wouldn't know. They're the enemies of the tribe. Well, more like the enemies of the guys who are descended from wolves. There are some old guys who had the ability to shapeshift into a wolf-"

Quil stopped speaking at Jared's snort.

"Jared, you know you're wrong."

No, you're wrong. Werewolves, not shapeshifters."

"Shapeshifters is right though."

"No it isn't!"

"Yeah, it is!"

"Werewolves!"

"Shapeshifters!"

"Werewolves!"

"Shapeshifters!"

"Were-"

"**Stop**."

Everyone looked surprised at Embry's quiet voice. Quil cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah. So the cold ones. They were the enemies of our ancestors... The shapeshifters-" Quil emphasised with an elbow jab to Jared's side "-but there was a pack of cold ones who were all right. So some old guy set up a treaty. They stay off our land, and we don't tell the pale-faces about their secret."

"What secret?" Edward asked. He noticed that he had leaned forward sometime during Quil's tale. Eric was the same. Quil grinned at their curiosity.

"They drink blood. Like Dracula. You know, vampire stuff."

Eric laughed as Edward went over what he knew about vampires. Dead, immortal beings who slept in coffins, burned in the sunlight and had a strange hatred of garlic.

"Lemme get this straight. Your ancestor, who was some wolf shapeshifter, just drew up a treaty with a group of vampires? Do they, like, not drink blood? Why would he do that?" Eric asked.

Quil grinned in response to his obvious disbelief. Eric rolled his eyes but looked impatient for an answer.

"Nah. They drink blood. They feed on animals. It made them more human-like or something."

"Sucks for Bambi," Edward said.

Quil burst out into laughter as Jared looked sullen. He was obviously still sore about the werewolf/shifter thing.

"Sucks for Disney. Can you imagine Snow White without the seven dwarves? Wait... Do they count as animals or humans?" Eric asked.

"They're human-ish... So I guess if they ate one dwarf it'd still only be half a human," Edward said.

He turned to Quil, who was very amused by the change in topic.

"Does that count as breaking the treaty? It only says that they have to stay off tribe land right?"

"Dunno. I'll have to ask the elders about that," Quil said.

The glint in his eyes told Edward that he was serious. Embry rolled his eyes as Jared groaned in exasperation.

"Don't man. Just... Don't. We've already got too much to deal with."

"Boo, you whore," Quil finished with a raspberry.

"Seriously, Quil, stop trying to make that a thing. Get over it man."

Quil shook a fist at the sky.

"Never! I'll never stop until I get a real sequel!"

"Right... Sure... "

Jared edged away as Quil sobbed dramatically. Edward wondered what the Cullens were doing.

"Soooooo, uhh... About the treaty..." Eric said.

Quil quit his drama queen act as Jared dug around in the cooler for a beer. The pile of empty cans now numbered at least ten. Embry had a disapproving look on his face as he crossed his arms. Jared either didn't care or didn't notice.

"The cold ones that signed the treaty, let's call them..." Quil looked to Jared for a suggestion, but he was ignored.

"I'll call them the Dullens. Yeah, that's totally a name."

Quil dodged the smack to the head as Jared scowled. Embry looked like he was done with life.

"This group, the Dullens-" Quil swayed to the side as he dodged the can of beer-"agreed not to kill or drink from humans while they live near La Push. Technically, the shifters told them not to do any of that period, but it's not like it can be enforced away from our territory."

"Careful, the elders might get their panties twisted up if they heard that," Jared said.

Edward could tell that the trio didn't care much for these elders.

"Like I care. Leah already told them to shove it, so whatever."

"Is the treaty broken since you told us?" Eric asked.

The three shared a look before seeming to agree on an unspoken question.

"Technically... But you two would've found out eventually. Considering..."

Quil tried hard not to look in the direction of the woods. Edward wondered what Seth had to do about telling them about a secret treaty.

"Considering... What?" Edward said.

He was starting to get tired of the cryptic BS. The Cullens had been more subtle at least. Did Quil actually think he was being clever? Eric had been fooled, but Edward almost rolled his eyes at the mention of the 'Dullens'. His friend was unaware of anything as he chewed on a smore that Embry had given to him. He felt a little offended. Where was his smore? He was aware that he was being irrationally jealous, but Embry made smores that looked perfect. He even toasted the graham crackers. Realizing he had drifted off into his thoughts, he snapped back to reality. He hoped that Quil hadn't answered while he was daydreaming about smores. Quil's uneasy expression told him that he didn't answer yet.

"So..." Edward trailed off.

He wasn't sure what to say next. Quil laughed nervously.

"Yea know, considering that you're our new best friends! Am I right or what?"

Quil had tried to throw Jared a Hail Mary pass. Jared wasn't having it.

"Really? News to me."

Embry watched the interaction, a newly toasted smore in hand. Edward wanted that smore. It was a shocker when Embry handed that smore to him.

"Uh... This is for me?"

Embry's look told him that the native thought he was a moron. Of course it was for him.

"Thanks."

Embry didn't reply. Edward felt like even more of a dumb ass.

"I don't know what's going on, but cool. I'm totally up for doing friend stuff and whatever," Eric said.

Edward was of the mind that there was something very odd about this situation. He wanted to shake Eric by the shoulders and yell that something was wrong here. Either the three natives were delusional, or there was supernatural beings in the small town of Forks. He had moved into a den of vampires and werewolves/shifters. Eric had no idea what was going on. Edward was trapped here. He was just an average guy, an average guy in love with a girl who seemed to hate his guts. He almost wished for a vampire to bite him at that moment. At least then he would know if they were real or not.

A/N

I started with the thought of what would Twilight be if the roles were reversed(not referring to Life and Death, I didn't even know it existed until I did more research). The book cover is kind of a reflection of the Twilight cover. White, with the purple lilac on the cover. Bonus points if you know the meaning of the flower. Moving on, once I had the thought of this in my head, I made book covers for the books in this series. The dusk series. Then I made outlines and knew that, at this point, I actually wanted to write this fic. This isn't the first time I've posted a fic on the internet(I try not to remember the first). It's the second time. Expect mistakes and inconsistencies. If that gets you mad, too bad. Life isn't perfect. I'm definitely not perfect, nor am I some bestseller writer. Just an amateur over here... I suppose I should give something to the people who bother to read author notes. I know I don't, I always skip them lol. Okay, here goes. Ready to have your mind blown? The secret ingredient in a Krabby Patty is...

Lol, like I would tell anyone if I knew. This is the first of four in the metaphorical fanfic series. The first is dusk, the second, third, and fortth... Should I say? I might not even write those. For now, I'll say that the second book, if I ever finish dusk, is called witching hour. The concept... I guess since a new moon is gradually illuminated or whatever, witching hour would follow dusk as the darkest part of the night. Or something. Oh, I realized too late that I made Jessica a human, but Jessica is a common name. Technically, I didn't screw up... Guess I'll have to use the name of the actress instead. This will be relevant later on in dusk. Extremely relevant. There will be a quiz(there won't be a quiz). Rosalie will be there as well at the same time, along with some other characters. Some well-known, some barely mentioned. Hopefully that sounds cool. Idk. I usually write with the intent of making something that I would actually read. Anyway. I'm out. Next chapter might be out in a week. Maybe. I tend to lose track of time. And date. Leave a review if you can. Constructive criticism is good.


	4. Uninvited

The doorbell rang. Edward had no idea who it could be at the front door when the sun had already gone down. He went downstairs to open the door for someone unexpected.

"Hey Eddy. What's up?"

It was Emmett. Which was strange, considering the Cullens had been gone for a week to go camping. He stepped to the side to let Emmett in and closed the door.

"Nice place. Do you guys hate decorating or what?"

Edward realized how empty the house must seem to someone else.

"My room's upstairs. Over here."

The muffled footsteps following him felt strangely unsettling. It was in the moment before he entered his room that the hairs on the back of his neck raised. Was it colder in here, or was it his imagination? He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily as Emmett smirked.

"Wow Eddy, it's exactly what I thought your room would be like. Except for..."

Emmett trailed off as he stepped closer to a small painting hung next to the window. It was a painting of a lioness sitting on a granite slab. The striking amber eyes glinted as the lioness faced the sunrise. Emmett was looking at the dark forest behind the slab. The forest was nothing special, but Edward could tell that Emmett was scanning the trees for something.

"Did you notice the hidden details?"

"No... is it some kind of optical illusion?"

Emmett looked very much like he wanted to ask another question, but he smacked himself on the forehead instead.

"Oh, that's right! Eddy, you play video games right?"

"I do? That's news to me."

The bigger teen deflated noisily, cursing Alice and Isabella for some reason.

"... I could learn and stuff. You know, if you don't mind playing with someone who's never even held a controller before."

"Really?"

Emmett perked up immedietly. Edward could almost see a dog wail wagging as the muscular teen grinned innocently.

"Yeah. Sounds fun."

He was not prepared for the massive bear hug. It must have been his imagination that he saw black spots appearing just as Emmett released him. Emmett ignored his gasps for breathe as he snooped around the rest of his room.

"So... There's a bunch of books and stuff in this bookcase, but where's the GOOD stuff? You hid it somewhere right?"

"What? Wait, you mean-"

Edward paled visibly, trying not to glance at the right end of the lowest shelf.

"-I, I have NO idea what you're talking about!"

"Ah, It's over here then!" Emmett said gleefully.

He watched as Emmett flipped through the magazine. Why didn't he throw it away before he moved here? Emmett let out a wolf whistle as he turned it sideways and let the centerfold unfurl.

"You got good taste, I gotta admit Eddy. I didn't know you were into brunettes."

There was a strange expression on his face. A smirk, but not as carefree or amused as it should have been.

"Well... I am. Just a little. That's normal though, you know? What about you?"

It took effort to will his expression into one of neutrality. Emmett was still flipping though his magazine.

"Blondes all the way, no doubt about it. Bonus points if she's a bit of a bitch. I'm a sucker for those types of girls."

His wide grin had a distinctly perverted quality. Edward rolled his eyes. Of course. What bigger stereotype was there then that of the muscular jock and his bitchy girlfriend? At least Emmett wasn't TOO much of an idiot.… maybe. He resisted the urge to face-palm as Emmett almost drooled over page 42.

"Anyway, Eddy. We were talking about..." Emmett flipped to the page earmarked near the end.

"Woah, not bad. Could have used better lighting though... Oh, yeah, games. I need someone to play with. Bells and Jaz are too busy to play, quote on quote, silly games, and Pix said the same thing. Can you believe them?"

"Um... No?"

"Exactly! Best game of the year, and they didn't even know about it! Got a rating of 4.7 out of 5, and they wouldn't listen when I tried to tell them."

He watched as Emmett sighed heavily and finally put the magazine back. Edward made a mental note to stash it somewhere safer when Emmett left.

"Seeing as tomorrow's saturday and you have no plans, I'll set up my PS. What time you usually up Eddy?"

"Excuse me? What makes you think I'm not busy then? You don't know me."

"Eddy, chill. I asked your buddy Eric. You know, through a text message."

Edward resisted the urge to slap Emmett's hand. The taller teen had patted him on the shoulder with a patronising look.

"Eric's not my only friend. I could've had plans with someone else..."

Emmett gasped loudly, a hand over his mouth.

"Don't tell me... You have a secret girlfriend? No way, that can't be possible! I can't wait to tell everyone. Man, they'll be surprised. Wonder what Bells would say..."

"NO! I don't have a girlfriend, I'm completely single, not that it should matter to you OR Isabella, so don't even say anything about this to her! Or anyone!"

Edward looked away, his ears feeling warm from embarrassment.

"Man, you've got it bad for my sis. Don't worry, we all know about it."

"Great. Thanks a lot, I really didn't need to be told that. That's not reassuring at all," he grumbled.

Edward flopped onto his bed face first as Emmett chuckled.

"Cheer up Eddy. One day, it'll all make sense. Till then, I get to enjoy the show."

"Whatever."

He laid there for a minute as Emmett continued to invade his privacy. It wasn't as if he could do anything now that Emmett had potential blackmail. If Isabella knew about his preference, he would never be able to look her in the eyes.

"What's the password for the computer?"

"Seriously, what the hell Emmett?"

The sounds of typing had him roll over and sit up to look at the teen incredulously.

"Nope, wrong password Eddy."

"... Get out."

"Woah there, what's wrong Eddy? You suddenly busy or something? Or is it... Something you want to do in private?"

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, laughing at Edward's wide-eyed expression.

"I feel you, you want some alone time after talking about my sis. Kinda gross, but who am I to judge? She's hella cute... When she's not mad at you. Come to think about it, she's mad at you a lot. What's up with that?"

"... Please leave before I kick you out through the window."

Emmett grinned, his teeth a pearly white. An involuntary shiver ran up his spine as he suddenly felt a tinge of inexplicable fear. The moment passed quickly, leaving him at a loss for words. Edward couldn't understand what had happened just then. He looked down to see goosebumps on his arms.

"Alright alright, calm down there Eddy. I gotta go home before they notice I'm gone. See you tomorrow Eddy! Make sure to wash your hands when you're done!"

Emmett ducked to dodge the pillow as he ran down the stairs. Edward flopped back down on his bed, listening as the door shut and Emmett's footsteps grew fainter until the silence set in. He couldn't even hear any birds. Strange, he mused, but shrugged it off. Maybe a storm was setting in soon. He felt tired somehow, the energy in his body disappearing somewhere as his heartbeat settled down. Sleep sounded good. As he started to drift off, he had a thought pop-up just before he fell asleep. How exactly did Emmett get Eric's number?

The morning had come and gone. Edward scowled at his motionless phone. While it was predictable of Emmett not to give a time, Edward felt antsy. He checked his phone. Nothing. He sat in his chair, spinning around lazily. A nagging thought plagued him like always. What did the Cullens want from him? The natives from La Push revealed the truth about themselves and the Cullens for a reason. Or was it all just a joke? But... Edward fiddled with the volume buttons on his phone. He thought the legends made too much sense. The pale cold skin, their predatory demeanor, the inexplicable moments of instinctual fear. He sighed. The chair slowed down and the painting caught his eye. He missed those days. No worries about vampires or werewolves. Middle school was a simpler time. His mother's drinking problem wasn't as bad then, while his father was always absent. He couldn't remember the last time he actually talked to him. School itself wasn't an enjoyable experience, but he had a teacher he admired. Well, admired was putting it lightly. Miss Marie was always nice to him, even when the other students would pick on him. Graduation was bittersweet. He had been glad to leave that place behind and go to a high school where he wouldn't know anyone. However, it had been the last time he had seen his teacher. She had given him the painting as a momento. Something to remember her by, as if Edward could forget her. Her long wavy brown hair and dark green eyes would show up frequently in his more... Interesting dreams. The rest of her face would be different every time. She always wore a face mask, so Edward never saw her whole face. It was a shame she had such a severe pollen allergy. He wondered what Miss Marie was doing now. Edward stood up, stretching out the kinks in his neck and back. A walk sounded good. He could come back before Emmett showed up. It was dim as usual in the hallway and stairwell. Just as he was about to open the front door he heard a car come down the gravel road. Peeking through the glass panes, he saw a jeep with tacky flames on the sides park in the driveway. It was Emmett. The older boy noticed him staring as he unloaded a bag from the passenger seat. Edward opened the door for him.

"You forgot to lock your car."

Emmett grinned.

"Didn't feel like it."

With that, Edward decided that it wasn't his fault if Emmett's car was hijacked. He closed the door. Unlike Emmett, he had the sense to lock the front door. Rustling sounds guided him to the living room. It hadn't seen any use until today. If the house wasn't being cleaned weekly, he had no doubt there would have been a thick layer of dust everywhere. Emmett hummed cheerfully as he hooked up his console to the flat screen.

"Eddy, you got some extra cables? I think I left one at home..."

"No. I don't know where they're stored either."

Emmett looked at him incredulously.

"Seriously? You do live here, right? How do you not know where stuff is?"

He had no answer. He didn't have to, as Emmett laughed suddenly.

"Sorry, my bad, I found it in the bag! I don't know how I missed it!"

The laughter dried out as he caught sight of Edward's expression.

"... You alright there Eddy? It was just a joke."

Edward shook his head, getting rid of unnecessary thoughts.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

Emmett turned on the console. From then on, he was strangely quiet, only speaking to instruct Edward on controls and combo sequences. It was all very surreal. Edward thought that Emmett would have been obnoxious while having fun. He even won a few matches against the bigger teen. Somehow, something felt off. Emmet was sitting next to him, but he felt so distant. A thoughtful glance towards Emmett had not gone unnoticed - Emmett returned his stare, smirking just before executing a combo that put his fighter down for the count. Edward rolled his eyes, but focused on the game.

"Eyes on the prize Eddy! Better be careful, I might think you have a crush on me."

Edward rolled his eyes, but focused on the game.

"In your dreams."

It had only occurred to him after Emmett left that he had been a terrible host. He hadn't offered any snacks or drinks. Then again, didn't vampires drink blood? He didn't exactly have bags of blood just lying around the house. The grumbling of his stomach interrupted his thoughts. Heaving a sigh, he locked the door and went to the kitchen to grab some pop tarts. There were a few flavors to pick from. He didn't really care which flavor. What mattered was that he would need to do some grocery shopping soon. He had finished off the last bag of chips a week ago. A list of things he needed floated around in his head. Chips, preferably Lays, pop tarts, beef jerky, cheese sticks, instant noodles, cookies, cereal, milk, maybe some fruit. Edward wasn't too sure about the last item. Fruit tended to mold before he finished it. Maybe fruit juice would be better. The last of the pop tarts were gone soon enough. He brushed off the crumbs absentmindedly. Now, he supposed he could work on his composition a bit. It was still a few hours before he usually went to sleep. He took a drink from his water bottle, draining it. It crumpled loudly as he crushed it with his hands. He needed to buy water as well. Tomorrow then. He would go grocery shopping tomorrow.

Edward thought that he might have caught a glimpse of Isabella as he wheeled around the corner, but he shrugged it off. Forks is a small town, he reasoned to himself. So what if he happened to run into her? He looked down, checking for stains. His black sweatpants had some wrinkles, but not too much lint. Edward continued his shopping, bracing himself for a chance encounter every time he saw a cart appear around the shelves. He supposed that he made an odd sight, his unruly hair sticking up as he gawked at random strangers. That thought had him blush as he averted his gaze. What was he doing, standing around when he should be shopping? He reached for a box of frosted flakes just as someone tapped him on his shoulder. The immediate reaction should have been to play it cool - he would take the cereal and put it in his cart before turning to see who it was. Instead, an undignified yelp came out of his mouth as the box slipped from his sweaty hand to land corner first on his unprotected foot. Flip flops were not a good choice of footwear. A manicured hand appeared in his range of vision to grab the cereal. At least he could take comfort in the fact that it wasn't Isabella. She kept her nails short and clean. Edward had never seen her with painted nails or a manicure. He looked up. A familiar brunette smiled at him.

"Didn't mean to startle you. Are you all right Edward?"

Angela looked genuinely concerned as he stood up from his crouched position.

"Yeah. I'm good."

He took the cereal offered to him and dropped it in his cart. She glanced at the contents briefly. Edward cleared his throat as he tried to think of something interesting to say.

"So... What brings you here?"

Right as he said it, he wanted to smack himself. Why would she be there, if not to get groceries? He pointly did not look at the full cart behind her.

"Same as you I suppose... Ran out of food. Emmett eats like a bear, we like to stock up when we can."

"Oh..."

Edward stood there for a few seconds as Angela looked at him quizzically.

"Are you by yourself? It looks like a lot to load into your car by yourself."

She smiled. It was not very threatening, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Why Edward, are you offering to help me? That's sweet. If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate it. Isabella had something come up suddenly, and it would be nice to have some company."

"That's a shame. Guess I must have just missed her."

Angela's smile had not changed.

"Yes. It's too bad. Perhaps you'll see her in class tomorrow."

They continued to make small talk as they purchased their items and wheeled their carts out the automatic doors. Edward went to his car first to shove everything in his trunk hurriedly. His empty cart was put away before he walked over to a dark blue SUV. Angela was steadily tucking everything neatly in boxes. The truck had boxes organized into compartments that fit snugly like a puzzle.

"Fruit goes in here, vegetables here, cans at the far right box, and everything else can go wherever."

Edward got to work, trying to be as careful as Angela. She would smile at him when he looked at her. He would look away, willing himself not to drop anything like an idiot. Half of it was organic produce. The rest were healthy, alternative food items. Gluten-free, soy-free, whole wheat, organic, etc. Edward thought that each of the Cullens had different dietary needs. Or that's the image they wanted to present to the townspeople. Vampires didn't eat human food. When they finished putting everything away, he had to step back to let he close the trunk.

"Thank you. It would have taken longer without your help."

He nodded, trying not to let it show that he knew their dark secret. Angela waved goodbye as she drove out of the parking lot. He waved back, going to his car when the SUV was out of sight. It was interesting, he thought, that they cared so much about appearances. He backed out carefully and shifted into drive. Just as he was about to step on the gas petal, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. His brow furrowed as he glanced in the rear view mirror. For a split second it looked like it might have been Isabella...

The sloppy joe on his tray did not move under his brooding gaze. He poked it with his plastic spork, watching as a glop of meat fell out from the buns.

"Eww, stop that. I'm losing my appetite over here."

Edward dropped his spork onto his tray and turned toward Emmett. Unlike him, Emmett only had a thermos in front of him.

"What appetite? All I see is that thermos. Is it soylent or something like that?"

It was probably blood. But Edward had the sense not to mention that in a school cafeteria.

"No, it's part of a juice cleanse. It's a thing we do every week or so. Way better than what you have to eat."

The two of them looked at the sloppy joe. Edward thought the meat might have been made of an animal not normally eaten by the masses. He pushed the tray away-he wasn't hungry anyway.

"I'd tell ya to eat, but that's not good for you. It's off."

Edward sniffed. He couldn't tell if Emmett was right. In any case, he needed to ask a question.

"So I saw Angela around and you're here..."

Emmett took a swig from his thermos before answering.

"They went to go visit some relatives. Nothing major."

Edward wanted to know who these relatives were, but wasn't too sure how to without being nosy.

"Cool. That's great, must be nice. Why didn't you guys go?"

Emmett hummed thoughtfully. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.

"Didn't feel like it. Why, you tired of me already Eddy? That hurts man."

"No, when did I say that?"

Edward rolled his eyes at Emmett's smile. Just as he was about to insult Emmett with a sarcastic quip, Angela arrived at the table.

"Sorry I'm late, had to drop off a book. What did I miss?"

"Angie, you're here! Tell Eddy to be nicer to me. I don't know how much more I can take!"

She was not affected by his pout. Edward wondered if it would be fine to dispose of the sloppy joe by launching it directly at Emmett's face.

"Emmett, we know that you're an idiot, don't degrade yourself any further."

"Okay, that's just mean.… I should go and join the circus since I'm not appreciated here."

"Wow Emmett, I had no idea you knew such a complex word. Guess that head is good for something other then headbutting trees."

Emmett gasped loudly. The other students sitting nearby looked over only to see it was the usual business. They looked away as Emmett held a hand over his heart.

"You have wounded me fierce maiden. I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest."

Angela pretended not to hear him as she took a brown paper bag out of her messenger bag.

"Here Edward. I made something for you."

"Thanks. I wasn't expecting it?"

"Of course not. A surprise is unexpected for a reason."

Edward gave up. The Cullens had a way of dodging questions that was mildly irritating. He had a feeling he would just have to get used to it. The brown paper bag contained a ripe green apple, a small bag of assorted nuts, a bottle of water, and a tubberware container of something warm. He opened the container to see a thick square of lasagna. It was still warm. How was it still warm? The questioning look he gave Angela had he smile in response.

"It's safe to eat, don't worry."

... That wasn't what Edward wanted to hear, but he supposed it didn't matter. He took the metal fork offered to him by Angela and tried to focus on their bickering as he ate. It was difficult, as it had been forever since he had eaten something so delicious. Lunch ended quickly, and he finished off the apple hurriedly as Angela put away the empty container and fork. Emmett chuckled as his frantic chewing as he finished his own liquid lunch.

"See you around Eddy."

Edward nodded as he threw away the core. He turned around to grab his bag only to see that Angela was holding it up for him.

"It was really good. Thank you Angela."

She just nodded, walking off to her class. Edward thought that he should do something to repay her later. He was disappointed that he didn't see Isabella today, but lunch made up for it.

AN

This romance is going to be a bit slow and there will be no smut. There will also be some tech being introduced as the story progresses. Because it doesn't make sense that vampires wouldn't have advanced more quickly in technology than humans, there should have at least been inventions that helped them blend in more. One of these inventions is the mystery liquid in the thermos. 10 points to whoever can answer what it is correctly. Leave your answers in a review, and I'll get to awarding the points eventually.

P. S. I know there are typos. I don't have a beta, and I don't really want one. Thus... I guess it'll just be there. I don't care too much, they shouldn't detract too much from the story.


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